The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to send Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin after soldiers attempted a coup in the neighbouring country.
The coup plot unfolded when mutinous soldiers took over a state TV station and claimed to remove President Patrice Talon, but loyal forces later regained control with quick support from Nigeria.
Tinubu asked lawmakers to back the deployment to help restore order and protect democracy in the region. Senate leaders say the approval was unanimous, despite a brief call for wider debate from one lawmaker.
At a regional security meeting in Abuja, ECOWAS warned that West Africa is facing rising coups, political tension and growing insecurity, describing the situation as serious and urgent.
